- Solve real problems with our hands-on interface
- Progress from basic puts and calls to advanced strategies
Interactive Options Course
Posted October 16, 2025 at 10:42 am
Broadcasting from London, Gerry Perez, CEO of Interactive Brokers U.K., sits down with Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares, to discuss the global rise of humanoid technology. Together, they explore how AI, innovation, and international markets are converging to shape a future that could soon include a billion robots.
The following is a summary of a live audio recording and may contain errors in spelling or grammar. Although IBKR has edited for clarity no material changes have been made.
Welcome everyone to our podcast, live from our offices here in London. My name is Gerry Perez, and we are hosting KraneShares with Jonathan Krane. Jonathan, welcome to our podcast.
Thank you. It’s great to be here, and thanks for having us. It’s great to be in London.
So tell us a little bit about KraneShares.
Sure. KraneShares is an ETF firm headquartered in New York City. We manage various types of strategies listed on the London Stock Exchange, as well as in New York and on Nasdaq. Our strategies focus on China, emerging technologies, alternative strategies, and carbon credits.
So what brings KraneShares over to London?
We’re very excited to be here, and today we listed an ETF fund on the London Stock Exchange.
That’s great. And it has to do with humanoid technology. How did you get involved in it?
At KraneShares, we look for megatrends, and much of our focus today is on technology. These are long-term trends — 20-year-type opportunities. We also focus on technology themes that have both China and United States involvement, where there’s leading innovation. Humanoid robots are just beginning. It’s predicted that there will be over a billion humanoid robots on the planet in the next 20 years. Morgan Stanley predicts it’s a $5 trillion industry, and KraneShares launched the first humanoid robot fund in the world. We want to offer investors early access to what we think is a long-term megatrend.
So the fund is made up of what components in order to have the outcome?
The fund is made up of the whole ecosystem of humanoid robots — from the rare earth metals to the batteries, to the chips, to the hardware, and also the producers of humanoid robots.
And the retail space just got involved in this, or has it always been able to invest?
For public investing, this is the first time this has been offered.
That’s fantastic. In bringing this over, there’s a lot of talk right now about artificial intelligence and humanoids. So is artificial intelligence humanoids the same technology, or is it separate?
AI is a big part of humanoids. Artificial intelligence is a major driver of robots going forward. The chip companies are very important, the battery companies are going to be very important, and obviously the hardware too.
You personally — what got you involved?
We’ve been following this for a couple of years. We saw a lot of technology leadership coming out of China, and we’ve been following those companies. We saw that there were enough companies to put together a meaningful portfolio — 50 companies across the whole ecosystem of humanoid robots. We think these companies are going to drive that industry, and there are incredible growth opportunities within it.
So we’ve got this little humanoid over here, but you’re coming all the way from overseas, and I noticed it’s a little bit late. So what’s the story here — a little jet lag, right?
The humanoid is very human and has experienced some jet lag. It was interesting to see people experiencing a humanoid robot for the first time in their space, and the reaction was very positive — first impression, very friendly. The humanoid robot, KOID, as we call it, has been like a tourist here and has visited famous places around London and has had a good experience.
Did you take it to the pub?
Yes, the robot did go to the pub. It was there at happy hour yesterday.
It must have had an incredible response there.
It did — it was amazing. It was the first time.
So as the retail space starts adapting into humanoids and the hardware, is it costly to buy one of these robots?
I think the costs, depending on the robot and the type, can be very affordable to more sophisticated robots that are higher priced. But really, it’s where the use cases are coming in. The number one use case is in factories and production — manufacturing, the automation of manufacturing, where humanoid robots will play a significant role. You also see robots in universities; many universities are buying robots and offering new career directions around this industry and learning about robotics and humanoid robots. We also see it in hospitals and in elderly care. Those are initial use cases, but I think it’s going to expand. You’ll see it in retail, shopping, and other experiences. Eventually, where there could be a billion robots in the world, I think there will be many new use cases. And what’s this all about? It’s really about creating efficiencies and conveniences — that’s what’s driving this.
And KraneShares’ headquarters is—
Yes, headquartered in New York City.
Maybe expansion in the near future as the technology grows as well?
Absolutely. We’re in New York City, and we also have an office in London. Our investor base is now global — institutional, wealth management, and retail investors.
And if people want to learn a little bit more about KraneShares or this technology, any websites or sources of information?
Sure. We have a lot of information on our website, kraneshares.com. There’s also great research coming out now from major banks — Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and others — whose research teams have identified humanoid robots as a significant asset class and investment theme. Consulting groups like McKinsey are also covering this space now.
Fair enough. And like any kind of investment, investors should always learn as much as possible before making informed decisions. You mentioned geographically a little bit about China — where do you see the biggest growth around the world?
I think the humanoid robot producers and technology leaders are really coming out of China, as well as the United States. We’re also seeing Japan and Korea getting involved, along with Germany, the U.K., and others. I think a lot of the producers, the ecosystem, and the supply chain will expand globally for production as adoption increases. OEMs will need to be headquartered and situated around the world.
I can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate you taking the time to visit us here and tell us a little bit about KraneShares. We wish you all the best, and we’ll be keeping an eye on it.
Thank you very much. We really appreciate our long-term relationship with Interactive Brokers — an incredible platform — and thanks so much for having us.
Thank you, and much success.
The analysis in this material is provided for information only and is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. To the extent that this material discusses general market activity, industry or sector trends or other broad-based economic or political conditions, it should not be construed as research or investment advice. To the extent that it includes references to specific securities, commodities, currencies, or other instruments, those references do not constitute a recommendation by IBKR to buy, sell or hold such investments. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Interactive Brokers, its affiliates, or its employees.
Content on China Last Night is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results; material is as of the dates noted and is subject to change without notice. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding the funds or any security in particular.
This material may not be suitable for all investors and is not intended to be an offer, or the solicitation of any offer, to buy or sell any securities. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.
This material contains general information only and does not take into account an individual’s financial circumstances. This information should not be relied upon as a primary basis for an investment decision. Rather, an assessment should be made as to whether the information is appropriate in individual circumstances and consideration should be given to talking to a financial advisor before making an investment decision.
Forward-looking statements (including Krane’s opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, or projections regarding future events or future results) contained in this presentation are based on a variety of estimates and assumptions by Krane. These statements generally are identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “predicts,” “intends,” “projects,” “plans,” “estimates,” “aims,” “foresees,” “anticipates,” “targets,” “should,” “likely,” and similar expressions. These also include statements about the future, including what “will” happen, which reflect Krane’s current beliefs. These estimates and assumptions are inherently uncertain and are subject to numerous business, industry, market, regulatory, geo-political, competitive, and financial risks that are outside of Krane’s control. The inclusion of forward-looking statements herein should not be regarded as an indication that Krane considers forward-looking statements to be a reliable prediction of future events and forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as such. Neither Krane nor any of its representatives has made or makes any representation to any person regarding forward-looking statements and neither of them intends to update or otherwise revise such forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances existing after the date when made or to reflect the occurrence of future events, even in the event that any or all of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are later shown to be in error. Any investment strategies discussed herein are as of the date of the writing of this presentation and may be changed, modified, or exited at any time without notice.
Any discussion or mention of an ETF is not to be construed as recommendation, promotion or solicitation. All investors should review and consider associated investment risks, charges and expenses of the investment company or fund prior to investing. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.
Join The Conversation
For specific platform feedback and suggestions, please submit it directly to our team using these instructions.
If you have an account-specific question or concern, please reach out to Client Services.
We encourage you to look through our FAQs before posting. Your question may already be covered!